The
Android operating system is widely used across the world as it holds
around 65% of the market share. The convenience that Android phones
afford its users has its disadvantages. Since the Android operating
system gives its users the freedom to download tons of items directly
from the internet, it puts the phones at risk.

No
system is completely impenetrable, however, it's important to know
that, your phone can be infected with viruses and other malware. With so
much personal data is stored on Android devices, including photos,
messages, contacts, and of course every sensitive piece of information
in every email account linked to your device!

It's terrible to
think what a hacker could accomplish with all that data. On an even
creepier level, the Android operating system has listening, viewing, and
tracking capabilities that, if hacked, can allow your personal
conversations, the view from your camera, and your GPS location to be
viewed and stored. Knowing all this, I'm sure you're wondering, "Does my
Android phone have a virus?" If so, how can we remove viruses safely
from Android phone? Is there a way to prevent another breach? Let's get
started learning about Android viruses so that we can identify, remove,
and keep from getting reinfected with viruses.

How to Detect if your phone has a VirusIt
is pretty easy to detect that your Android phone has been compromised
to a virus attack. Below are the meaningful signs for you to spot if
your phone has been infected by a Virus (mostly malware).

1. Battery Drainage:
All of these unauthorized functions in the background will ultimately
cause your battery to drain quite quickly because your phone has a
virus. So if you notice signs such as a drastic drainage in your battery
or your phone heating up even if you’re not excessively using it, be
alarmed.

2. Excessive Pop-ups: This is one of the most
obnoxious and obvious signs of them all. If you’re seeing uncalled for
ads, reminders and unfamiliar system warnings, then the integrity of
your phone may be compromised. This will result in slowing your phone
and wasting your data. Also, you are potentially installing even more
malware.

3. Spikes in your Data Usage: should be the first
sign that your phone is infected. Phones that are infected with adware
(advertising ware) maliciously perform clicks in the background to spawn
the profit for cybercriminals. Try to compare your current mobile data
charges to the billings of previous months and spot any unusual
activity.

4. Unexplained SMS Charges: Adware also sends
text messages to premium-rate numbers without the user’s consent and
accordingly, charges you behind your back if your phone has a virus.

5.
Also, you may have foreign Apps that you don’t recall installing to
your phone. Trojan malware is known especially for downloading apps on
your phone that is identical to popular apps. Cybercriminals and
hackers, later on, change them to their original form through app
updates.

What are the best methods of deleting viruses on the Android phone?In
most cases, a hard reset may be the only option. However, this comes at
a huge price as you lose other valuable data that have not been backed
up before the attack. Fortunately, you can get rid of the virus without
having to factory reset your phone. This is possible if the infection is
not that much.

Should I simply Factory reset my phone to get rid of the virus?A
factory reset means removing all your applications, losing all your
data and erasing all your personal settings. So you may consider leaving
this option as a last resort.

However,
some apps are quite stubborn because of their administrative access and
won’t get uninstalled this way. In such instances, you will have to
remove such malicious app via the “Safe Mode”. At this point, you will
need to search for how to boot in safe mode for your individual Android
phone. Generally, the following steps will work for most android phones,

Hold the power button on your phone until the ‘’Power Off’’ option appears.

Tap and hold to the ‘’Power Off’’ option until the ‘’Safe Mode’’ option appears.

Go back to your Application Manager and Uninstall those apps

If the apps are clinging to your phone by their administrator access, consider the following:

Head to Settings >> Security >> Device administrators

Locate the app that refuses to install

Uncheck the box

Next, tap on “Deactivate”

Head back to your Application Manager again and uninstall the app for good

After getting rid of these suspicious/malicious apps, restart your phone to complete the process.Are there reliable antivirus software for Android phones?I
don’t really use antivirus software to Delete Android Virus. However,
lots of capable contenders are available in the Google Play Store that
offers a good security solution for your android phone in the form of an
app, with more notable ones being Avast! Free Mobile Security, Avira,
Lookout Mobile Security, AVG Mobile Security, Kaspersky and Norton
Mobile Security, just to name a few. There is a different feature-set
offered by each, so you have room to weigh your options carefully before
making a decision to go with one.